Perforated board clip and card holder



Oct. 6, 1970 c. E. BOGESE 3,531,879

PERFORATED BOARD CLIP AND CARD HOLDER Filed May 5, 1968 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIH :0

INVENTOR. CHAFA 3 E. 506585,

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United States Patent ce 3,533,879 Patented Get. 6, 1970 3,531,879 PERFORATED BOARD CLIP AND CARD HOLDER Charles E. Bogese, 2028 Maiden Lane, Roanoke, Va. 24002 Filed May 3, 1968, Ser. No. 726,425 Int. Cl. G09f 1/10 US. Cl. ill-424.4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A clip and card holder, for use with a perforated board, said clip being a resilient member insertable in a perforation of the perforated board and having board clamping portions at both ends, the forwardly protruding part including a reversed portion, a lower portion, and a hook portion connected to the lower end of said lower portion, said card holder comprising a resilient transparent member having a downwardly and forwardly inclined front wall, a bottom wall extending rearwardly and inclined slightly upwardly, a first intermediate wall extending upwardly and forwardly to clamp an indicia card between its upper edge and the rear face of said front wall, a second intermediate wall extending rearwardly and upwardly, and a rear wall extending downwardly and forwardly, said rear wall being removably clamped against said lower portion of the clip being held tight in the bight of said hook portion by pressure of the clip reversed portion against the top of said rear wall.

This invention relates to a clip and card holder pertaining to the art of displaying merchandise, and more particularly to a merchandise support adapted to display a great variety of items in selected positions on the face of a conventional perforated board, the clips being adapted to support, alternatively, items of merchandise, or card holders bearing indicia, or labels, characterizing the merchandise.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a clip formed of resilient material having portions adapted to releasably clamp the clip to a perforated board and portions adapted to releasably clamp a label, or card holder, or alternatively, to support an article of merchandise.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clip and card holder combination in which the clip has a portion which exercises locking action for supporting a card holder and another portion which engages and locks the card in the card holder.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clip for support of articles, or card holders, which clip, due to its resilient properties and shape, is adapted to be used on perforated board supports having different thicknesses, as well as different sized apertures.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved clip for supporting articles, or card holders, which clip can be readily removed from and as readily replaced in difierent perforations of a supporting perforated board.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a combination clip and card holder, having the above described characteristics, wherein the card can be easily removed and replaced in the card holder without removing the clip and card holder from the perforated board.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved clip, for supporting articles from a perforated board, formed of resilient plastic instead of metal and which may be molded or extruded at relatively low cost.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved clip and card holder combination of simple construction, easy and economical to fabricate, and easy and inexpensive to use.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination clip and card holder according to the invention mounted on a conventional perforated board;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the combination of FIG. 1 showing the clip in elevation;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the clip alone in relation to the perforated board shown in broken lines;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the clip shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan View of the clip shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 3 of a modified clip adapted for use with a thicker perforated board.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the improved perforated board clip and card holder are shown in FIG. 1 as constituting a clip, generally indicated by numeral 10, supporting a card holder, generally indicated by numeral 12, on a conventional perforated board 14 having a plurality of evenly spaced perforations 16 therethrough.

The clip 10, as best seen in FIGS. 3-5, preferably comprises an integral member having a substantially horizontal portion 18 adapted to seat within and protrude at both ends from one of the perforated board apertures 16. To the rear end of the horizontal portion 18 is formed an upwardly and forwardly inclined portion 20 connected by a bend 22. Connected by bend 24 at the forward end horizontal portion is a reversed portion 26 extending sub stantially parallel to the horizontal portion. At the rear end of the reversed portion is connected a downwardly and forwardly inclined lower portion 28, which, at its lower end is connected to a hook portion 30 including the bend 32 forming the bight of the hook. Preferably, the hook portion 30 extends upwardly substantially parallel to the lower portion 28, but it may be inclined forwardly, or rearwardly, if desired.

Although the clip described above may be formed of a springy metal, as has been conventional for similar supports of somewhat different shape, it is preferred to injection mold, or extrude, the clip using a resilient plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride, polyolefin, polycarbonate, polyamide, etc. Any plastic having the springlike properties of polyvinyl chloride, whether it be thermosetting, or thermoplastic, may be used. Extrusion of the clip as a continuous strip having a cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 3, is possible as the most economical method of forming the item, since the die, though complicated, is easy to make. After extrusion, the strip may be cut in lengths equal to the desired width of each clip. Manufactured in this way, the clip may be formed at a much lower cost than the same part made of metal, and at a saving of at least one-third of the cost.

To use the described clip, it is merely necessary to insert the rear portion 20 horizontally into one of the apertures 16 of the perforated board with the horizontal portion 18 extending vertically. The clip may then be turned downwardly and rearwardly causing the rear portion 20 to revolve into the position shown in FIG. 3 in which its upper edge strikes the rear face of the perforated board and the bend 34 at the top of the lower portion 28 strikes the front face of the perforated board. The clip is now ready to receive an article, or a package of merchandise, and which may be secured thereto by threading an eyelet, or the like, over the hook portion to rest in the bight 32. Depending upon the weight of the article being displayed, the clip 10 will deform somewhat spreading the bend 24 at the front of the horizontal portion and causing the rear portion 20 to bend rearwardly under the weight of the article, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 3. The thicker the perforated board 14 and the heavier the article being supported, the more pressure will be exerted by the upper edge of the portion 20 against the rear face of the perforated board and the upper bend 34 on the lower portion against the front face of the perforated board, thereby more securely holding the article in place.

To move the article, or articles, to different positions on the perforated board, it is merely necessary to grasp the front bend 24 and turn the horizontal portion 18 upwardly and forwardly, pulling the rear portion 20 into the aperture of the perforated board from which it can be easily removed by a forward pulling movement. The clip and supported article may then be removed to another aperture and the clip re-inserted, in the manner described above, while still holding the article.

With the described construction, the clip is easily applicable to perforated boards of varying thickness and perforated by apertures of varying diameter. The resiliency of the clip enables adequate deformation to permit relative easy insertion into the aperture of the peg board. With a perforated board of one quarter inch in thickness the clip as shown should have a horizontal portion 18 of approximately one half inch in length, a rear portion approximately one quarter to three eighths inch in length, and a lower portion one half inch, or somewhat less, in length. For a much thicker perforated board the same dimensions may apply, except that the rear portion can be made longer to enable proper mounting and then may be cut off at its tip.

Not only is the clip adapted to support articles of merchandise in the manner explained above, but is also designed to support a card holder bearing labels, or other indicia, as best shown in FIG. 2. The card holder 12 is preferably formed of a resilient plastic material which is also transparent. It may be formed of celluloid, Lucite, or one of the plastics enumerated above in connection with the fabrication of the clip.

The card holder 12 is preferably provided with a generally rectangular and somewhat curved forward wall 36 which extends downwardly and forwardly with respect to the perforated board 14 on which it is to be mounted. A bottom wall 38 is integrally connected to the bottom of the forward wall and extends rearwardly and inclined slightly upwardly. A first intermediate wall 40 is connected to the rear of the bottom wall 38 and extends upwardly and forwardly to engage the rear face of the front wall. Since the card holder is resilient, a card 42 may be slid from either end along the rear face of the front wall and between said wall and the upper edge of the intermediate wall 40, said upper edge pressing against the card to clamp the same against the front wall. Integrally connected to the upper edge of the first intermediate wall is a second intermediate wall 44 which extends upwardly and rearwardly and which is provided at its rear edge with a connected downwardly extending wall 46, termed the rear wall.

The length of the rear wall 46 of the card holder is equal to, or slightly less than the length of the lower por' tion 28 of the clip, so that the clip rear wall will fit against the lower portion of the clip and will be secured thereagainst by the resilient clamping pressure exercised by the clip between the hook portion bend 32 and the lower face of the reversed portion 26.

To assemble, or mount, the card holder on the perforated board, it is merely necessary first to position one or more clips 10 in line in spaced apertures thereof, in the manner previously described for mounting a single clip. The bottom edge of the rear wall 46 of the card holder 12 may then be inserted downwardly into the spaces between the hook portions 30 and the lower portions 28 of the clips and pressed rearwardly to snap into locked position adjacent the lower portions of the clips, as clearly shown in FIG. 2. When thus assembled it will be noted that the bend 24 connecting the horizontal and reversed portions 18, 26 presses against the rear of a card 42 mounted in the card holder, and thereby exerts a second clamping pressure on the card along a line delineated by said bend. Thus, the card is held in place by the pressure of this bend as well as by the pressure at the joint between the first and second intermediate walls 40, 44 of the card holder. This secures the card against accidental displacement, or removal. Nevertheless, the card may be easily removed and replaced by sliding the same in either direction toward one end or the other of thecard holder with sufficient force to overcome the frictional pressure of the said intermediate walls and the bend of the clip.

It should further be clear that the clip, together with the card holder as a unit, may be removed from the preforated board by merely lifting the bottom wall 38 of the card holder and pulling upwardly and forwardly. This will displace the supporting clips from their apertures in the same manner as previously described for each clip, alone. Similarly, a pair or more of clips initially may be clamped to a card holder and the clips simultaneously then inserted into perforations in the perforated board in the same manner previously described for inserting one clip. In this way the clips and the card holder may be mounted as a unit, rather than separately.

In FIG. 6 is shown a modified clip 10 which differs from the previously described clip only in size and in relative lengths of various of its portions. The modified clip is, as shown, somewhat larger, particularly the rear and horizontal portions, 20 and 18', to enable installation on a thicker perforated board 14' having larger openings 16' therein.

While the clip and card holder have been shown and described as having designated shapes and specific proportions, it will be clear that these specific dimensions and shapes may be readily changed without defeating the functions of the combination. The clip has been shown as being of rectangular, or almost square cross-section, but it obviously could have a round cross-section. The perforated board has been shown with round apertures, but it could have square, or other, shaped apertures. The rear portion of the clip has been shown as forming an angle of approximately 70 with its horizontal portion, but this angle could be as small as 45 and as large as 89. Similarly, the lower portion 28 has been shown as making an angle of approximately 77 with the reversed portion 26, but this angle is also subject to considerable change.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A clip, for use with a perforated board of the type having multiple perforations opening through front and rear faces thereof comprising a one-piece member formed of a resilient material and including a substantially horizontal portion insertable in one of the perforations of the perforated board to extend entirely therethrough and protrude at both ends therefrom, a rear portion connected by a bend and extending upwardly and slightly forwardly from the rear end of said horizontal portion and having an upper end for engagement with the rear face of the perforated board, a reversed portion connected by a bend to and extending rearwardly fro-m the front end of said horizontal portion substantially parallel thereto, a lower portion connected by a bend to the rear of said reversed portion and extending downwardly and forwardly at a slight angle, the rear of the upper end of said lower portion being adapted for engagement with the front face of the perforated board, and a hook portion connected by a bend to the lower end of said lower portion and extending upwardly in spaced apart substantially parallel relation to said lower portion.

2. A clip according to claim 1, wherein said rear portion makes an angle of approximately 70 with said horizontal portion and said lower portion makes an angle of approximately 77 with said reversed portion.

3. A clip according to claim 1, wherein said rear and lower portions each has a length slightly more than one half that of said horizontal portion, and said hook portion has a length in the range of one third to one half that of said lower portion.

4. The combination of a clip and a card holder, for use with a perforated board having multiple perforations, said clip comprising a member formed of a resilient material and including a substantially horizontal portion adapted to be inserted in one of the perforations of the perforated board to extend entirely therethrough and protrude at both ends therefrom, a rear portion connected by a bend and extending upwardly and slightly forwardly from the rear end of said horizontal portion and having an upper end adapted to engage the rear of the perforated board, a reversed portion connected by a bend to and extending rearwardly from the front end of said horizontal portion substantially parallel thereto, a lower portion connected by a bend to the rear of said reversed portion and extending downwardly and forwardly at a slight angle, the rear of the upper end of said lower portion being adapted to engage the front of the perforated board, and a hook portion connected by a bend to the lower end of said lower portion and extending upwardly along said lower portion, said card holder comprising a resilient member having a downwardly and forwardly inclined front wall, a bottom wall extending rearwardly and inclined slightly upwardly, a first intermediate wall extending upwardly and forwardly from said bottom wall to clamp an indicia card between its upper edge and the rear face of said front wall, a second intermediate wall extending rearwardly and upwardly from the upper edge of the first intermediate wall, and a rear wall extending downwardly and forwardly from the rear edge of the second intermediate wall, said rear wall being removably clamped against said lower portion of the clip being held in the bight of said hook portion by pressure of the clip reversed portion against the top of said rear wall.

5. The combination according to claim 4, wherein the bend connecting the horizontal and reversed portions of said clip presses against a card when inserted in said holder to releasably hold the card against the rear face of said front wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,584,815 5/1926 Sherer.

FOREIGN PATENTS 5,995 3/ 1910 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner 

